105 Moscow World Games-Women's Singles
◎The next period was the era ruled by Zhu Qi.◎
In fact, before the final, He Qianlu came to see Xu Dong.
The two men stood on the roof of the World Games Village accommodation building, looking at the night sky of Moscow and talking for a while.
The content was also very simple, basically revolving around Zhu Qi. He Qianlu also provided Xu Dong with some off-field coaching advice.
Since Zhu Qi came to the national team, although He Qianlu was called to the national team many times to help with training, the two of them would only say a few words about training-related matters when there were other people around.
This was the first time they were alone together... oh yeah, not the first time either.
They had talked to each other once before when Gao Xiaofeng got married.
The content basically revolves around Zhu Qi.
Xu Dong told He Qianlu that Zhu Qi was working very hard for the national team and had played in those recent matches… He Qianlu listened quietly, then revealed a look of relief. Gao Xiaofeng, having had a few drinks, came over and teased them.
"You two care about this more than their own parents do."
When Xu Dong asked He Qianlu why she wanted Zhu Qi to follow her, He Qianlu just joked that Zhu Qi would help her win a Grand Slam.
At that time, although they both knew that Zhu Qi was very talented and capable, he was still far away from a Grand Slam.
In six years, many unexpected things can happen. Take He Qianlu himself, for example. No one imagined he would be stripped of his spot at the World Games that very night.
How many four-year periods can an athlete have?
Therefore, Xu Dong has been training Zhu Qi wholeheartedly since he took over, helping Zhu Qi to get a place in the national team.
All food, clothing, housing and transportation are taken care of.
Even Chang Hongxia sometimes said that Xu Dong was too good to Zhu Qi, and he didn't rest on weekends and stayed in the team to practice with him.
But Xu Dong knew in her heart that she always felt that she had taken advantage of He Qianlu and had picked up such an outstanding player for free.
In order to contribute more to Zhu Qi's career, Xu Dong had no choice but to work hard with Zhu Qi.
The two sisters are 13 years apart in age, and have been close to each other for six years.
Xu Dong knew.
The Moscow women's singles final at this moment will not be Zhu Qi's last battle, but it will definitely be the most important battle in her life!
Now Zhu Qi is two games ahead of Xi Ling'en.
The North Korean side kept telling Xi Ling'en how to fight, asking Xi Ling'en to catch up.
Many off-field coaches will tell players how to play next and how to guard against the opponent's pass.
But Xu Dong was different. She just repeated the few balls in which Zhu Qi lost points in the previous games and discussed with Zhu Qi the reasons for losing points.
The mother and daughter have already reached a tacit understanding in off-field coaching.
Because Xu Dong knew that Zhu Qi had ideas in his mind and knew how to fight next.
But sometimes Zhu Qi can see his opponent very accurately, but can't find some of his own problems, so Xu Dong will help him find them.
"The angle of that ball just now was a bit off. You shouldn't have hit it with the racket sideways. If you did, it would have become a straight line. If she pushed it straight towards you, you would have been in a lot of trouble..."
Zhu Qi listened silently, and nodded from time to time.
When it comes to the game point, other players would definitely feel that they have won the game, believing that the championship is in their pocket and that they will definitely win the next game as long as they continue to play like the previous games.
But Zhu Qi looked very stable, even though the podium was just outside the barrier not far away, only five meters away from Zhu Qi.
But Zhu Qi didn't even raise his head, and remained in a highly tense state.
Ah Shui was sandwiched between Qin Xiaoba and Sister Xia, and sighed, "If it were me, in such an important match, such a crucial game point, I would definitely lose control of my emotions."
"Normal," Chang Hongxia folded her arms and nodded slightly. "I used to be like that when I played competitions. I thought I was just one game away, one point away, and I'd be the world champion. But often, my mind would wander so much that my palms would get cold, and sometimes even my technique would become messed up."
Ah Shui had never experienced such a life-or-death situation.
But A Shui felt that after watching the match between Zhu Qi and Jamie, her sense of responsibility was awakened.
The athletes all know that they are fighting for the country and they shout slogans very loudly, but after all, we are all human beings. Sometimes we relax, can't hold on, and feel that there is no need to fight so hard.
At this moment, I watched Zhu Qi fighting on both ends of the table.
Song Linzhou suddenly had the illusion that he was in another world.
He felt that Zhu Qi's current level was partly due to the emergence of strange opponents from all over the world, which made Zhu Qi increasingly powerful and courageous.
Song Linzhou felt that his previous statement in front of the media that Zhu Qi was "unprecedented and probably never to be surpassed" was a bit subtle.
She is a miracle worker.
The cute impulse that had been secretly hidden during adolescence was like a balloon that had expanded to the extreme at this moment. With a light press, it could not wait to be released.
"Zhu Qi four to one!!"
The sound was unusually loud in the relatively quiet environment during the break, and many people around joined in the booing.
Qin Xiaoba and A Shui looked at each other, with a smirk of "I understand" on their faces, and then pretended to be calm as if they were afraid that the coaches might see it too.
The fifth game begins.
Xi Ling'en did not show any mercy even though he was two games behind. He continued to fight back and forth with Zhu Qi, exchanging many shots and not losing the upper hand.
The sound of the bat hitting the white ball, the sound of the white ball shuttling back and forth, the sound of the white ball landing on the table... The frequency of the oscillating hitting sounds is getting faster and faster, and the intervals are getting shorter and shorter.
It was like thunder and lightning.
Maomao was also watching the match in the infirmary, lying flat on her back, her waist covered in needles. The women's singles match was over, but there was a mixed team match tomorrow, and she needed to play herself, so she had to undergo conservative treatment. The team doctor even brought a bunch of mugwort to burn on the table. Maomao could only look up at the TV, listening to the CCTV commentary's impassioned shouting.
Xi Ling'en's every shot was beautiful! Zhu Qi was no slouch either, each ball seemed to sparkle, fast, fierce, and accurate!
Actually, this young North Korean girl played really well today, even better than in the semifinals yesterday. But there's no way around it. After Zhu Qi's match against Jamie from the American team, she felt like her Ren and Du meridians had been opened. Now Zhu Qi is in top form, with an unstoppable drive and a fearless spirit.
[Oh my, Xi Lingen hit the ball at such a tricky angle! It almost went straight past the table, without even a bounce.]
It was a close call, but Zhu Qi's reaction was so quick! She followed it before the referee even seemed to be sure it was a close call. As soon as the ball hit her, she was there! Oh wow! What a great move!
Zhu Qi made a bottom-cut shot, turning the rapidly falling white ball into a small short shot that flew up again.
Then, the ball softly passed over the net and fell almost close to the net, with no possibility of being hit.
[Fifth game, Zhu Qi 6:5 Xi Ling'en]
Zhu Qi leads by one point.
Zhu Qi's reaction was incredibly quick. He was able to tell from such a blurry shot that it was a close call.
The commentators thought this ball was very dangerous.
Because of the rules in table tennis, if the ball is not saved and hit back, the score will be reset.
It's like you saved a ball for someone else.
Maomao felt that the commentators didn't know one thing, which was that the reason why Zhu Qi was able to act decisively and immediately determine that it was a close call was because Zhu Qi had extraordinary hearing. He heard the friction between the ball and the table, so he immediately went to catch it.
Zhu Qi wore an orange jersey today, with his name in light gold on the back. Xu Dong thought it resembled the color of a gold medal, bringing good luck. His chest and back were drenched in sweat, and his damp hair had been pulled back, revealing a radiant forehead and a resolute expression.
The new pink scar running horizontally under her eyebrow actually made her skin look even whiter, tenderer and clearer.
Table tennis is an indoor sport and basically does not require exposure to the sun.
I got tanned during military training before, but it healed within a month.
The cat's thoughts were also in turmoil as he watched.
Zhu Qi is growing very fast now. He is so young and capable.
Even if he was in his prime and had no obvious injuries, he would not be Zhu Qi's opponent if he stood opposite Zhu Qi instead of Xi Ling'en.
She felt mixed emotions and sighed deeply.
On the one hand, I am happy that Zhu Qi is ahead, but on the other hand, I am confused about my own future.
Coach Cun sat next to her and accompanied her all the time. Maomao was also a child he watched grow up. This sigh made Coach Cun understand Maomao's thoughts.
Coach Cun reached out and patted the cat on the shoulder, comforting it, "Take good care of it. There will be the National Table Tennis Championships later."
She failed to win the "Miriam" Cup in the last National Table Tennis Championships, which was also Maomao's last Grand Slam puzzle.
This is the honor that every athlete desires most.
If she could achieve the "Grand Slam", she would be willing to do so even if it meant that she could never play tennis again.
Maomao nodded and said, "I know. I can hold on."
At this time, the result of the game has been tied at [7:7].
Xi Ling'en obviously used all his strength in this round, and the score was very close, as if he had erected a high wall behind him to block Zhu Qi's attack.
The ball flew up again.
The two men were once again in a stalemate at both ends of the table, and the entire ball inexplicably turned into a taut rope.
Under the high-speed operation, neither of them dared to make changes easily for fear of losing control of the rotation and hitting the ball out.
One beat, two beats, three beats...
The spectators' eyes darted around following the ball, some even counting silently—six beats, seven beats…it's not over yet?!
The white shadow of the ping-pong ball rolled back and forth, even forming a line on the left and right sides of the table!
Zhu Qi's body is wide open!
The hands and feet almost completely span the entire table. Sometimes the hands have flown to the right table but the feet are still on the left table!
Every ball is open and close!
Nineteenth beat! Twenty-first beat! Twenty-first beat!!!
Snap——
The ball flew over the table in front of Zhu Qi and flew straight to the ground!
Xi Ling'en made a mistake and the ball went out of the table.
The breath Zhu Qi had been holding since the first beat suddenly released! She raised her hands at the same time and shouted: "Tory——"
[Fifth game, Zhu Qi 8:7 Xi Ling'en]
Xi Ling'en did not show any disappointment for losing the point, but instead looked down at the racket in his hand with a calm expression.
There are many marks of impact on the rubber, which are left by the strong rotation during multiple shots. The rubber is not elastic enough and has not had time to recover.
The long grains also look a little weak.
It looks like a rusty sword, telling its owner about its powerlessness.
Zhu Qi felt that Xi Ling'en was also very devoted in the fight.
Sister Xia once said that you can understand a person through a game of football.
Xi Ling'en let the sweat flow freely on his body. Even though beads of sweat had accumulated on his neck, he did not reach out to wipe them off. He devoted himself to every tug-of-war with Zhu Qi.
The two of them looked for each other's weaknesses and used their hardest fists to attack the other's hardest parts.
Everyone saw a real game that the strongest female athletes should play.
Every ball was clean, crisp and clear.
Let everyone see clearly how the opponent lost points when the ball was hit, or how you won points when the ball was received.
Even the national table tennis team members were so engrossed in watching the game that they would applaud whenever they saw a brilliant shot. When they came to their senses, they realized that it seemed like the opponent had scored.
[This ball is really hard! When Zhu Qi pulled it over just now, he added a little sideways rotation, and Xi Ling'en really came out. Zhu Qi is really brave! He actually dared to change it at such a high speed!]
[They fought each other for twenty-one consecutive rebounds. This kind of reaction and ability to hold the court can't be developed through practice. These two players' talent is also top-notch.]
This reminds me of a match this morning between Song Linzhou and Lü Yaohan. Although they also engaged in a multi-shot rally, they both waited for the other to make a mistake. Zhu Qi, however, took the initiative, creating a change of pace, playing a one-or-the-less approach. This might be the style of the Bayi team. We saw another young boy on the Bayi team play like this before, too: they just like to go head-to-head.
[There isn't a single softie on the Bayi team.]
When the CCTV commentator said this, the camera of the Russian organizer was pushed forward to an old man in a Zhongshan suit in the stands.
The old man has been through more than seventy years and has seen all kinds of storms. The balloon that amazed everyone did not seem to cause any emotional fluctuations in the old man. He watched calmly as the only female player under his tutelage was killing everyone on the field.
But the person closest to him might be able to see a hint of tears in the old man's weather-beaten eyes.
The table tennis team won six gold medals, including mixed doubles, women's doubles, men's doubles and men's singles.
Now there is only the fifth women's singles and mixed team left.
He watched every match of Zhu Qi's women's singles this time.
The youthful vitality can easily drive people's emotions and make older people think of their own youthful years.
She jumped, ran and swung her racket around the table.
Every time she moved forward, it seemed as if countless hands were supporting her from the ground, allowing her to fly as high as possible.
The white ball ripped through the air with a sound, and almost every time it soared up, it was like an arrow shot through the clouds, drawing the screams of countless soldiers and horses on the stage.
Xi Ling'en and Zhu Qi are both close-table players, and they rarely retreat to defend long balls, so when the two of them play close to the table, the balls they hit are fast and beautiful.
Crackling.
It was as if sparks were flying.
Zhu Qi has gone on a killing spree. CCTV commentary.
She's like a female warrior. French commentator.
"Holding her weapon in her hand, she can use this racket to take the highest podium of any country." Russian commentator.
[I heard that her previous coach was He Qianlu, the player who was banned indefinitely by the International Table Tennis Federation for suspected adultery...] British commentator.
[…But this won't stop her from showcasing herself on the world stage. I think the future will be hers…]
The fatigue and pain in the body have been completely forgotten, and a strong will is dominating this body.
The sword has been sharpened.
She has already been in the underworld.
【9:9】It’s tied.
On the 19th ball, Zhu Qi changed his backhand to a forehand wide corner, catching Xi Ling'en off guard.
Xi Ling'en caught the ball and it went into the net.
Entering Zhu Qi's match point.
At this time, everyone was on edge, tense and worried that they might be hit by the little white ball at any time.
Zhu Qi felt her palms burning hot, and her whole body felt as if on fire, making every meridian in her body extremely tense.
The last ball!
The last one!!!
This sentence exploded in everyone's mind.
Maomao almost stood up from the bed, but fortunately Coach Cun held her down: "Hey, you haven't finished removing the needle yet!"
Zhu Qi's serve.
Xi Ling'en stood opposite, staring at the small ball thrown by Zhu Qi.
Is it a baseline shot? A hook shot? A counterclockwise shot?
The white ball gradually enlarged in her eyes, overlapping with the dilated pupils and covering up the original light.
Xi Ling'en's muscles reacted faster than her brain. Her hand began to swing the racket, successfully pushing the ball forward. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhu Qi lean slightly to the right. Was he going to play a forehand loop with her?
Xi Ling'en quickly reversed the shot, changed to the black face, and prepared to hit a loop with Zhu Qi for the final resistance.
But—the ball Zhu Qi pulled over actually spun sideways with a slice, and when Xi Ling'en tried to catch it with a loop, the ball flew directly to the right—
Then, the ball slowly fell.
Ten centimeters, five centimeters, four centimeters away from the table... getting closer and closer.
wrong!
Xi Ling'en's heart skipped a beat!
She knew that she had been fooled by Zhu Qi's fake moves.
Zhu Qi did not hit a loop ball, but instead combined light and heavy shots and hit a forehand straight ball.
Timeline was slowed down at this moment.
The ball was one millimeter away from the edge of the white line of the table and flew straight to the ground.
Zhu Qi's movements also slowed down, and the hem of his clothes swayed with his movements, like a battle robe draped over the back of a female general, fluttering in the wind, ready to lead the army south at any time.
clatter.
The ball bounced on the floor.
Dada.
Played it a second time.
Click.
The referee flipped the scoreboard.
Zhu Qi watched the referee's fingers pinching the scoreboard next to her name. At the moment when "10" became "11", many memories suddenly emerged in her mind like a passing display.
From yesterday's match with Jamie, to preparing for this World Games, winning the "Miriam" Cup for the first time, joining the Bayi team, competing in the mixed doubles for the first time at the World Games, and competing in the World Championship Cup with He Qianlu at the age of 15...
Zhu Qi didn't know why she could think of so many past events in just one second, but when she saw the number card "11" completely blocking the original number card "10", she felt a drop of tears dripping from her eyes.
Is it sweat?
It seems not, because more and more water droplets are flowing down, like beads with broken string.
The entire stadium erupted in the most enthusiastic screams in history. Countless spectators stood up from their seats, screaming, shouting, jumping and waving red flags in their hands.
The red color transformed into a ball of fire, igniting in all directions.
Everyone's faces were exaggeratedly enlarged due to screaming and shouting, and some even turned red from shouting.
Zhu Qi was pulled back from her memories by the screams of joy, allowing her to clearly see the huge score on the scoreboard.
【Zhu Qi 4:1 Xi Ling En】
She won.
There seemed to be a flame in her chest, burning as it was about to burst forth. She could hardly control herself and raised her face, like a giant Kun that had sunk into the sea, leaping out of the water. She looked up at the extremely glaring light above her head, closed her eyes, and completely released herself.
——"Tory!!!!"
The girl's clear and long cry was like a cry.
A little golden phoenix flapped its wings and flew high, completing her final tempering trial.
——【Scars cannot cover my eyes, and suffering cannot stop my journey.】
——【Writing your own future, a contemporary flag bearer of China.】
This was how the newspapers later evaluated her.
Just a few short sentences.
It almost tells the story of her life for 21 years.
Zhu Qi couldn't see anything in front of him because tears were welling up in his eyes, as if he wanted to vent all the suffering, grievances and sorrow he had experienced in the past at this moment.
Although it is difficult and there are many obstacles.
But she did it.
She guarded this national gate.
Then, Zhu Qi suddenly felt his feet leave the ground, and tears rolled down his cheeks at this moment.
She saw clearly, Xu Dong, A Shui, Qin Xiaoba, Song Linzhou, Daxiong, Ren Xinhua, Chang Hongxia, Zuo Zuo, You You, Xiao Lingdang who came to practice with the second team... and Maomao!
All the players and coaches of the national table tennis team surrounded her, and countless hands lifted her high.
Throw up.
Catch it steadily.
Throw it up again.
Catch it firmly again...
Every time Zhu Qi was thrown up, he was accompanied by cheers from everyone around him.
——"No regrets on the journey! Glorify our nation's prestige!"
——"Steel is forged through repeated tempering! Only China can do this!"
They shouted loudly, and all the Chinese around them repeated it over and over again.
Among these hands supporting Zhu Qi, Zhu Qi felt that there was also He Qianlu's hand.
Applause and cheers accompanied countless flowers falling from the platform, like a gorgeous and graceful rainbow, landing around Zhu Qi.
Countless cameras were pointed at Zhu Qi, recording this new "Grand Slam".
Later I heard that when my aunt in the stands saw this scene, her blood pressure soared due to the incessant shouting, and she closed her eyes and lay down straight.
My uncle, who was standing nearby, was the first to notice what was happening. He hugged my unconscious aunt and began to search for heart medication. My aunt and uncle-in-law, along with my uncle, started looking for water. After unscrewing the water bottle and giving it to my aunt, the three of them kneaded, pinched, and massaged her until she "wore herself up."
"Qin'er, don't scare me. Our daughter just won the championship, you must be calm." My uncle's mood at this moment was like a roller coaster, sometimes ecstatic, sometimes scared, and then relieved.
My aunt followed suit and said, "Sister-in-law, you really scared us to death. Don't get excited. The game has been won, and they are going to raise the national flag!"
My aunt started to cry and murmured, "Good child, you are really my good child, Qiqi is such a good child..."
Seeing that my aunt had calmed down, the adults agreed not to tell the children about this. Otherwise, they would be scared to death and would never be allowed to watch the game in person again. What should we do?
/
While waiting for the award ceremony, Zhu Qi briefly gave a post-match interview.
The reporter sent by CCTV to the World Games is still Sen Qiaobei.
As a familiar face when interviewing the national table tennis team, Sen Qiaobei cheerfully offered his congratulations right from the start: "Congratulations on becoming the new Grand Slam winner. Before you accept your award, could you briefly share your thoughts? We're all very curious."
The broadcast rate of this women's singles final is even higher than yesterday's.
This is not just domestic data, the same applies to global playback volume.
Zhu Qi reached out his hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his fingertips. He smiled a little tiredly, "I feel very happy that I didn't lose the flag that the pioneers passed to me."
She did not talk about her personal honor first, but started from the national interest.
Because of this interview, Zhu Qi was later selected as one of the top ten young people and was commended by the General Administration of Sports.
In fact, Zhu Qi thought so too.
When he saw the referee flipping the scoreboard, for a very brief moment, Zhu Qi remembered the scene after Sister Xia lost the women's singles at the last Tokyo World Games. He talked to Sister Xia, and Sister Xia left the court alone.
She doesn't know when she will retire in the future.
The injury in this competition did make her start thinking about this matter. Although it is still early, she will definitely face this day in the future.
If he were to retire, Zhu Qi hoped that a rising star from the national table tennis team could defeat him...
After Zhu Qi changed into his award-winning uniform, the three of them were waiting behind the podium. Xi Ling'en's eyes were slightly red, but she took the initiative to come over and talk to Zhu Qi.
"This is the best game I've ever played." She felt very satisfied and that was enough.
Zhu Qi, with tears still on his face, smiled and said, "Me too."
Maomao stood on the third place podium first, followed by Xi Ling'en, and the last to enter was the newly crowned World Games champion - Zhu Qi.
The champion, runner-up and third place winners shook hands in turn.
Accompanied by the host's passionate chanting, when his name was called, Zhu Qi took a big step and stood steadily on the highest podium.
As the altitude increased by one meter, Zhu Qi's vision became wider.
I heard that the award was presented by the director of the military headquarters who works in the Kremlin and was involved in the organization of the Moscow World Games.
The two soldiers met.
Zhu Qi saluted the other party.
Zhu Qi has won many gold medals, including three World Games gold medals.
But they all felt that nothing was as textured or heavy as the women's singles gold medal.
Two national flags were raised after the men's singles final in the morning, and two national flags were also raised after the women's singles final in the afternoon.
The three people faced the flagpole on the right at the same time, and the national anthem played.
Although the competition was over, the ends of Zhu Qi's hair still felt damp, like a wet little phoenix.
Maomao saw that Zhu Qi's right foot was shaking slightly, but he still stood straight and saluted with his right hand.
This girl is full of tough bones.
No matter who comes from this world, they will be beaten to a pulp by her.
Someone among the coaches said, "Golden energy nourishes people. Winning the championship suddenly makes them look so cool. World Games champions just look different. Their spirit and energy are so full of energy, haha."
The others followed suit, smiling.
Zhu Qi had won many gold medals before, but everyone still thought she was just a little girl.
Now standing on the podium of the World Games, everyone suddenly realized that he was already a capable athlete with four World Games gold medals.
Standing on the highest podium, the chandelier hanging in the air reflected a light of pale golden color, which seemed to be inexplicably blurred into a circle of light when it shone on her, enveloping her body and pretty face.
A reporter ran to the back of the barrier and took a picture of Zhu Qi's profile facing the national flag.
What Zhu Qi is wearing around his neck now is the fifth gold medal won by the Chinese team in this expedition to Moscow.
With only one mixed team event left, Foye and Shige were still a little worried. The women's team had two injured players, and the men's team was also somewhat exhausted from the men's singles competition, their form had dipped. The mixed team competition began again in full swing. Just one more gold medal would bring them back home with six gold medals...
The red five-star flag slowly rose, and when it reached the apex, the music suddenly stopped.
at the same time.
The CCTV commentator's comments were also finalized.
——[A World Games champion who rose from the ashes, the youngest player in table tennis history to achieve a Grand Slam at just 21. He also achieved the shortest time to achieve a Grand Slam in the national team.]
——【Next, it is the era ruled by Zhu Qi.】
【Author’s words】
I saw on the news that Los Angeles added women's doubles, men's doubles, and mixed teams, and cancelled the men's and women's teams. I guess I predicted this in advance, hahahahaha [laughing and crying]
From now on, I will change the update time to 12 noon, because I always stay up late at night to catch up with the 9 o'clock update, and my sleep and work schedule is too chaotic. For the sake of my health, it is better to get up early to write, so that my mind is clear~
When I say it's almost finished, I don't mean it'll be finished this week! I still want to write about Meibao's victory scenes and the Riyadh cycle, but I won't be writing in such detail year by year. I'll just jump through time and write about Meibao until she's 25, picking out a few important tournaments in between. The main reason is that Meibao finally won the Grand Slam and wants to enjoy life for a while, and enjoy the luxurious life in Saudi Arabia.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
